JP2002016626A - Method and system for transmitting data - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for transmitting data, with which messages in various media formats can be transmitted/received after being automatically switched to an optimal access system corresponding to the class of information. SOLUTION: Concerning the data transmitting system provided with a server device for transmitting a message and a receiver for receiving this transmitted message, the server device has an incoming reporting part for reporting the information class of the message to be transmitted to the receiver and a data processing part for converting the message to be transmitted to the data format reported from the receiver, and the receiver is provided with an access system switching part for selecting an access system to receive the message on the basis of the information class reported from the server device and an access control part for reporting the data format corresponding to this selected access system to the server device and receiving the message, which is converted to the relevant data format, and transmitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data transmission method and system particularly suitable for transmitting data of different information types.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a unified message receiving apparatus for transmitting and receiving a message by using a unified access method between a transmitting side and a receiving side using an E-Mail format.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a configuration of a message access method in the E-Mail format based on such a conventional unified message receiving method.

When a message arrives at server device 110, the message is stored in storage unit 111 of server device 110. Next, the storage unit 111 notifies the incoming notification unit 113 that the stored message has arrived. The incoming call notifying unit 113 is the E-Mail format receiving device 1
An incoming call notification is transmitted to the control unit 131 of the control unit 30.

[0005] When the user performs a receiving operation using the operation unit 133 in order to receive the message for which the incoming call notification has been received, the control unit 131 receives the instruction and receives the instruction via the E-Mail format access control unit 137. E of device 110
-Connect to the mail format access server control unit 115.

[0006] E-Mail format access server control unit 1
Reference numeral 15 denotes the data stored in the storage unit 111 in the data format without conversion of the data format or the like.
-Send to the mail format receiving device 130. E-Mai
The l-format access control unit 137 transmits the received message to the data reproduction unit 139. Data reproduction unit 139
Performs data reproduction processing according to the information type of the received message.

[0007]

As described above, conventionally, by using the E-Mail format, it is possible to receive a message by the unified access method on the transmission side and the reception side. there were.

[0008] However, in information terminals that are becoming smaller and lighter in weight in recent years, due to constraints such as memory capacity and processing capacity, message data is downloaded in an E-Mail format in the stored data format. In some cases, it is difficult to process the information terminal according to the information type of the message.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has been made in consideration of messages of various media formats (for example, E-M
aile, voicemail, fax) with a unified access method,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data transmission method and system capable of automatically switching to an optimal access method according to the information type.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a data transmission method including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message. The device notifies the receiving device of the information type of the message to be transmitted, and the receiving device selects an access method for receiving the message based on the information type notified from the server device,
The gist is that the data format corresponding to the selected access method is notified to the server device, and the server device converts the message into the data format notified from the receiving device and transmits the message to the receiving device.

The present invention is also a data transmission system including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message, wherein the server device determines the information type of the message to be transmitted by the receiving device. And a data processing unit for converting the message to be transmitted to the data format notified from the receiving device, wherein the receiving device, the message based on the information type notified from the server device An access method switching unit that selects an access method to receive the data, an access control unit that notifies the server device of a data format corresponding to the selected access method and receives a message that is converted into the data format and transmitted. The gist is to have.

Further, the present invention is a data transmission system including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message, wherein the server device has an optimum data type for the information type of the message to be transmitted. A data processing unit that converts the message into a format, and an incoming notification unit that notifies a receiving device of the data format of the message converted by the data processing unit, wherein the receiving device
A plurality of access control units for responding to a message which is converted into a predetermined data format by the data processing unit and transmitted, and an access mode switch for selecting an access control unit which can correspond to the data format notified from the server device It is a gist to have a part.

According to the present invention, when a server device receives a message, the information type of the message is notified in advance to a receiving device such as an information terminal, so that a user can determine a method of receiving the message by the receiving device. When the receiving device is operated and input, the receiving device switches to the optimal access method for the server device according to the information type of the message, and the server device converts the message to the optimal message format and transmits the message to the user receiving device. Send a message.

That is, the user receiving device selects and switches the optimal access method according to the information type of the message, and the server device performs conversion / playback processing to the optimal message format (media type + data format) and transmits the message.

Thus, according to the present invention, the user receiving device can switch to an optimum access method and convert to an optimum message format in accordance with hardware characteristics such as a memory capacity and a processing ability without being aware of the user. After processing, the message can be received.

The access mode switching unit has a function of requesting the data reproducing unit to convert the received message format according to the capability of the user receiving apparatus, and the data processing unit has a function of converting the received message format into the requested message format.

As information types, at least "media type (characteristic characteristic of media; audio, still image, audio + still image, audio + moving image, ...)""data format (data storage format; still image For example, BMP, TIFF, J
PEG), “data size”, and “requested processing capacity”.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system to which a data transmission method according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The data transmission system shown in FIG. 1 includes a server device 10 and a user receiving device 30. In FIG. 1, the Internet network, telephone line network, exchange, and the like used as appropriate according to the type of information are omitted for simplicity.

The server device 10 includes a storage unit 11 to which a message is transmitted, an incoming call notification unit 13 connected to the storage unit 11, an E-Mail format access server control unit 15,
The voice format access server control unit 19 and the E-Mai
E-Ma connected to l-format access server control unit 15
It comprises an il format data processing unit 17 and a voice format data processing unit 21 connected to the voice format access server control unit 19.

The storage unit 11 stores the incoming message and its information type together, and is a storage means appropriately constituted by a hard disk, a memory and the like. The incoming notification unit 13 is a communication unit having a transmission / reception function of notifying the user receiving device 30 of the information type together with the message arrival notification via an arbitrary communication line.

E-Mail format access server control unit 1
5 and the audio format access server control unit 19 are respectively provided with an access method switching unit 35 of the user receiving device 30 described later.
In addition to performing access control to the access control units 37 and 41 selected by the above, the message is read from the storage unit 11.

The E-Mail format data processing unit 17
The message read from the storage unit 11 by the mail format access server control unit 15 is subjected to data conversion processing into the E-Mail format.

The audio format data processing unit 21 performs a data conversion process on the message read from the storage unit 11 by the audio format access server control unit 19 into an audio format.

The user receiving device 30 includes an incoming notification control unit 31 for receiving the message notification and the information type notified from the server device, an operation unit 33 connected to the incoming notification control unit 31, an access mode switching unit. 35, an E-Mail format access control unit 37 connected to the access mode switching unit 35, and a voice format access control unit 41.
A data reproducing unit 39 connected to the E-Mail format access control unit 37; and a voice format data processing unit 43 connected to the voice format access control unit 41.

The incoming call notification control unit 31 stores the message incoming notification notified from the server device 10 via an arbitrary communication line and its information type, and notifies the operation unit 33 that the message incoming notification has been received. The information type is notified to the access mode switching unit 35 in accordance with the operation of the operation unit 33 described later.

The operation unit 33 has a display function of a display unit composed of display members such as an LCD and an EL for displaying the message arrival notification in response to the message arrival notification, and a keyboard, a mouse and the like for the user to input an instruction. It has an input operation function. This allows the user to select a message to be received from the displayed incoming messages.

The access mode switching section 35 is a means for receiving the information type of the message selected by the operation section 33 from the incoming call notification control section 31 and switching to an optimal access mode.

The E-Mail format access control unit 37 and the audio format access control unit 41 perform access control of the access method selected by the access method switching unit 35, respectively.

The data reproducing section 39 is a means for reproducing the E-Mail format message received by the E-Mail format access control section 37 in accordance with the information type.

The audio format data output unit 43 is a means for outputting the audio format message received by the audio format access control unit 41.

Next, the operation when the server receives E-Mail when only the media type is used as the information type will be described.

When E-Mail arrives at the server device,
The server device stores the message in the storage unit 11 together with the information type “E-Mail”. Next, the storage unit 11 transmits the information type (E-Mail) of the stored message to the incoming notification unit 13. The incoming notification unit 13 transmits the information type (E-Mail) together with the message reception notification to the user receiving device 31. The incoming call notification control unit 31 of the user receiving device receives the incoming call notification and its information type (E-Mail). In order for the user to receive the message for which the call notification was received,
When the receiving operation is performed by the operation unit 33, the incoming call notification control unit 31 receives the instruction and transmits the information type (E-Mail) to the access method switching unit 35. The access method switching unit 35 determines an access method based on the received information type (E-Mail), and transmits an access instruction to the E-Mail format access control unit 37. The E-Mail format access control unit 37 that has received the access instruction connects to the E-Mail format access server control unit 15 of the server device. The E-Mail format access server control unit 15 reads the message from the storage unit 11 and
The message is transmitted to the access control unit 37 in the E-Mail format via the format data processing unit 17. In the user receiving device, the access control unit 37 receives the message in the E-Mail format, and the data reproduction unit 39 performs a reproduction process on the message according to the information type.

Next, "media type" is used as the information type.
When using only the voice mail, the server 1
The operation when 0 is received will be described.

When a voice mail message arrives at the server device 10, the voice mail is stored in the storage unit 11 in a data format, and is transmitted via the incoming notification unit 13.
A message reception notification is sent to the user receiving device 30. The access method switching unit 35 determines an access method according to the information type (“voice”) of the message notified from the server device 10, and transmits an access instruction to the voice format access control unit 41. The audio format access control unit 41 that has received the access instruction connects to the audio format access server control unit 19 of the server device 10.

The voice format access server control unit 19 reads out the voice mail stored in the storage unit 11 in data format, performs a message playback process in voice format via the voice format data processing unit 19, and converts the message into voice. It is transmitted to the voice access control unit 41 in a format. User receiving device 3
0 indicates that the message is received in the audio format access control unit 41 in the audio format, and the message is output via the audio format data output unit 43.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The data transmission system shown in FIG. 2 includes a server device 10 and a user receiving device 30. In FIG. 2, the Internet network, telephone line network, exchange, and the like used as appropriate according to the information type are omitted for simplicity of explanation, as in FIG. 1, and the same elements as those shown in FIG. Those are denoted by the same symbols and detailed description is omitted.

Further, in this embodiment, the FAX-format access server control unit 23 for reading a message from the storage unit 11 and the message read by the FAX-format access server control unit 23 are stored in the server device 20.
A FAX format data processing unit 25 for performing data conversion processing to the AX format is provided. The user receiving device 40 includes a FAX format access control unit 45 for performing reception control of the access method selected by the access method switching unit 35, A FAX format data output unit 47 is provided for performing a process of outputting a FAX format message received by the format access control unit 41.

The server device 20 includes a storage unit 11 for holding the received message and its information type together, an incoming notification unit 13 for notifying the user receiving device of the information type together with the unified message arrival notification, and an E-Mail It includes a format access server control unit 15, a voice format access server control unit 19, and the above-described FAX format access server control unit 23 and FAX format data processing unit 25.

The user receiving device 40 accumulates the message arrival notification and the information type notified from the server device 20, and displays the reception of the message arrival notification. An operation unit 33 for selecting a message to be received from the incoming messages displayed on the display unit 31; an information type of the message selected by the operation unit 33 being received from the incoming notification control unit 31;
An access mode switching unit 35 for switching to an optimal access mode according to the information type; and an audio format access control unit 4
1 and an E-Mail format access control unit 37, and the above-described FAX format access control unit 45 and FAX format data output unit 47.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Here, in the data reproducing unit 39 of the user receiving device 40,
The receivable data size is 2 Mbytes, the message format that can be processed is WAV format and JPEG format, and the installed processing capacity is 50 MIPS. The operation of the access mode switching unit 35 will be described below as (operation 1), (operation 2), and (operation 3).

(Operation 1) The “data size” of the information type notified from the incoming notification unit 31 is 2 Mbytes or less, the “data storage format” of the notified information type is WAV format or JPEG format, and “request processing capacity”. Is 50 MIPS or less,
Only when all of the three conditions are satisfied, the access method switching unit 35 selects the E-Mail access control unit 37, and the data reproduction unit 39 of the user receiving device performs reproduction processing.

(Operation 2) The "data storage format" of the notified information type is changed to WAV format or JPEG format by E-Ma.
Only when all of the two conditions, that is, conversion processing is possible in the il format data processing unit and the converted data size is 2 Mbytes or less, are satisfied in the access mode switching unit 35.
-Selecting the mail access control unit 37 and selecting E-Mai
1) Requests the data processing unit to convert the message format into the WAV format or the JPEG format. The "data storage format" that can be converted to the JPEG format is only the TIFF format, and the data size after conversion is twice as large as that of the TIFF format.

(Operation 3) In cases other than (Operation 1) and (Operation 2), if the notified information type “media type” is audio, the audio format access control unit 41 is selected and the notified information is transmitted. If the type “media type” is a still image, the FAX format access control unit 45 is selected.

Next, "media type" is used as the information type.
"Data storage format""Datasize""Request processing capacity"
In the case of using the four types, voice mail (“media type”: voice, “data storage format”: WAV format,
"Data size": 5 MB, "Request processing capacity":
20MIPS) will be described below.

When a voice mail arrives at the server device, the server device 20 sends the message to the information type (“media type”: voice, “data storage format”: WAV format, “data size”: 5 Mbytes, “request”. (Processing capability: 20 MIPS), and is stored in the storage unit 11. Next, the storage unit 11 transmits the stored information type of the message to the incoming notification unit 13. Incoming call notification unit 13
Transmits a message arrival notification to the user receiving apparatus 40 together with the information type. The incoming call notification control unit 31 of the user receiving device receives the incoming call notification and its information type. When the user performs a receiving operation using the operation unit 33 in order to receive the message that has received the incoming notification, the incoming notification control unit 31 receives the instruction and transmits the information type to the access method switching unit 35. Access method switching unit 35
Determines the access method based on the received information type.
In this case, the “data size” of the notified information type is 2
Since it exceeds M bytes, the access method is determined according to the audio that is the "media type" of the notified information type,
An access instruction is transmitted to the audio format access control unit 41. Voice format access control unit 4 receiving the access instruction
1 is an audio format access server control unit 19 of the server device.
Connect to The audio format access server control unit 19 reads the message in the storage data format (WAV format) from the storage unit 11, performs a message playback process in an audio format via the audio format data processing unit 21, and converts the message into a voice. It is transmitted to the voice access control unit 41 in a format. The user receiving device receives the message in an audio format and outputs the message via the audio format data reproducing unit 43.

Next, "media type" is used as the information type.
"Data storage format""Datasize""Request processing capacity"
In the case of using the four, the server device receives a still image (“media type”: still image, “data storage format”: BITMAP format, “data size”: 3 Mbytes, “request processing capability”: 15 MIPS) The operation at that time will be described.

Also in this case, similarly to the voice mail, the notified information type (“media type”: still image, “data storage format”: BITMAP format, “data size”: 5
The access mode switching unit 35 determines an access mode according to M bytes (“request processing capacity”: 15 MIPS). Since the "data storage format" of the information type is the BITMAP format, the access method is determined according to the "media type" of the information type: still image, and an access instruction is transmitted to the FAX format access control unit 45. The FAX-format access control unit 45 that has received the access instruction connects to the FAX-format access server control unit 23 of the server device. FA
The X-format access server control unit 23 reads the message from the storage unit 11 in the storage data format (TIFF format),
The message is converted into a format, the message is reproduced in a FAX format, and the message is transmitted to the FAX format access control unit 45. The user receiving device receives the message in the facsimile format and outputs the data in the facsimile format data output unit 47.
Output via.

Next, "media type" is used as the information type.
"Data storage format""Datasize""Request processing capacity"
FAX (“media type”: still image, “data storage format”: TIFF format,
The operation when the server device receives “data size”: 1.5 Mbytes and “request processing capability”: 40 MIPS) will be described.

In this case as well, like the voice mail and the still image, the notified information type (“media type”: still image, “data storage format”: TIFF format, “data size”: 1 Mbyte, “request processing” Ability ": 40 MIPS)
, The access mode switching unit 35 determines the access mode and message format. According to the information type, the conversion process into a message format that can be reproduced by the data reproduction unit 39 of the user receiving device satisfies the condition that can be processed by the E-Mail format data processing unit 17.
An access instruction is transmitted to the E-Mail format access control unit 37, and a request is made to the E-Mail format data processing unit 17 for a message conversion process to the JPEG format. The E-Mail format access control unit 37 that has received the access instruction connects to the E-Mail format access control unit 37 of the server device. E-Mail format access control unit 37
Reads the message from the storage unit 11 in the stored data format (TIFF format) and sends it to the E-Mail format data processing unit 17. The E-Mail format data processing unit 17 performs a message conversion process to the JPEG format, and transmits the message to the E-Mail format access control unit 37 in the JPEG format. The user receiving device is E
-Perform the data reproduction process on the message received by the mail format access control unit 37 via the data processing unit 17.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
When messages with various information types are stored in the server device, the information type is held together and the information is notified to the user receiving device, so that the optimum access is made according to the information type and the user receiving device capability. After switching to the system and converting to the optimal message format, the message can be received.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Since this embodiment has the same configuration as the data transmission system shown in FIG. 1, it will be described with reference to FIG. The data transmission system of the present embodiment includes a server 1
0 and the user receiving device 30.

The server device 10 includes, for example, an E-Mail format data processing unit 17 as a data processing unit for converting the message into a data format most suitable for the information type of the message to be transmitted, and a message converted by the data processing unit. An incoming notification unit 13 that notifies the user receiving device 30 of the data format of
The E-Mail format data processing unit 17 converts the data into a predetermined data format and responds to the message to be transmitted. For example, the E-Mail format access control unit 37 and the audio format access control unit 41 as a plurality of access control units. ,
The access mode switching unit 35 selects an E-Mail format access control unit 37 or a voice format access control unit 41 that can correspond to the data format notified from the server device 10.

By providing a plurality of access methods as described above, it is possible to select and download (sound reproduction) in an audio format when the free data storage area is small as in a portable terminal, for example. . Alternatively, during a voice call with a portable terminal, data can be downloaded in the E-Mail format, and a reproduction process can be performed later. That is, the optimum access method can be selected from the information type and the capability of the own mobile terminal (+ free resource status).

In the above embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to a unified message device has been described as an example.
It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this, but can be applied to any data transmission method and system.

[0059]

As described above, the present invention provides a data transmission method and system capable of automatically switching messages of various media formats to an optimum access method according to the information type and transmitting / receiving the data. The purpose is to provide.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a data transmission system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a conventional data transmission system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 server device 11 storage unit 13 incoming notification unit 15 E-Mail format access server control unit 17 E-Mail format data processing unit 19 voice format access server control unit 21 voice format data processing unit 30 user receiving device 31 incoming call notification control unit 33 Operation unit 35 Access method switching unit 37 E-Mail format access control unit 39 Data reproduction unit 41 Voice format access control unit 43 Voice format data processing unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04L 29/06 F term (Reference) 5B089 GA11 GA21 GB01 GB02 JA05 JA31 KA09 KA10 KB04 KH11 KH14 KH28 LA02 5K030 GA17 HA05 HB00 HB16 KA06 LA07 5K034 AA17 AA19 BB05 BB06 DD01 EE10 EE11 FF01 FF11 HH01 HH02 HH13 HH16 HH17 HH63 LL01 MM37 MM39 NN04 NN12 NN22

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A data transmission method including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message, wherein the server device notifies the receiving device of an information type of the message to be transmitted, The receiving device selects an access method for receiving a message based on the information type notified from the server device, and notifies the server device of a data format corresponding to the selected access method. A data transmission method comprising converting a message into a data format notified from a receiving device and transmitting the message to the receiving device. 2. A data transmission system including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message, wherein the server device notifies the receiving device of an information type of the message to be transmitted. An incoming call notifying unit, and a data processing unit that converts the message to be transmitted into a data format notified from a receiving device, wherein the receiving device receives the message based on the information type notified from the server device An access mode switching unit for selecting an access mode, and an access control unit for notifying the server device of a data format corresponding to the selected access mode and receiving a message converted to the data format and transmitted. A data transmission system characterized by the following. 3. A data transmission system including a server device for transmitting a message and a receiving device for receiving the transmitted message, wherein the server device converts the message into a data format most suitable for the information type of the message to be transmitted. A data processing unit that converts the message; and an incoming notification unit that notifies a receiving device of a data format of the message converted by the data processing unit. The receiving device converts the message into a predetermined data format by the data processing unit. Data comprising: a plurality of access control units for responding to a message to be converted and transmitted; and an access mode switching unit for selecting an access control unit that can correspond to a data format notified from the server device. Transmission system.